5993. About Zinzendorf
I spoke with Zinzendorf and was granted to show him his monstrous errors; and it was granted to see and hear from him what his nature is, namely, that
1. ) he is a great persuader, and that he persuades by solemn claims that he knows the mysteries of heaven and that without his doctrine no one can come into heaven. They are dire claims and of such a nature that they enter people's minds even though their belief is extremely false.
2. ) He speaks with all people in accord with their religion, in this way pretending that he is coming from a similar doctrinal position. He said that in this way he wins people over and that after this he implants his arcana, so he explores people beforehand to see whether they are going to be accepted.
3. ) He said his faith is that the Lord was born so that He might be adopted as the son of God, and that He is the adoptive Son of God, at first he believed that He was adopted only because He suffered the passion of the cross.
4. ) That His Divine is of the same nature as that of other human beings; that it is now somewhat more so because He was born in order that He might be adopted.
5. ) He denies that the Divine was in the Lord from conception. He said that it is so written; nevertheless they do not believe that it so happened; so they are involved in a kind of socinianism.
6. ) They do not wish to disclose this secret, because as a result they would be called Socinians [or] Arians and their congregation would perish.
7. ) They attribute sin to the Lord, and [say] that He was not a greater human being than others.
8. ) They disparage the things the Lord spoke in the Evangelists, saying that they are obscure and have scarcely any meaning, and that Paul spoke much better than He.
9. ) Zinzendorf said that he did not concern himself with the Old Testament and all of things there about the Lord. When I produced some things from there about the Lord, he did not want to listen, as if they are matters of no value.
10. ) He rejected the life of charity entirely because it contributes nothing to salvation, and [said] that one must not think about God in relation to life; to do this was damning.
11. ) He was entirely for faith separate from charity.
Because he believed that he alone together with his own [followers] would come into heaven because they were living through faith, and thus that he was going to come into heavenly delight, he was asked what he believed about heavenly joy. He [said he] believed that it is incomprehensible joy. It was said that all joy arises from affection, and that it arises from spiritual affection because heaven in a person is inscribed on this; in the degree there is natural affection separate from what is spiritual, in the same degree there is no heavenly joy. He believed also that he was going to come into the highest heaven. It was said to him that no one is denied heaven, [or] denied going there if he desires; he can do this if he wishes, so that he can experience what heavenly joy is. Consequently he got himself ready and went into a society where there is heavenly joy. He went into a house where he sat in the pleasant delight of glory. But this delight was passed on to the rest in the society. On account of this [a representative of the society] was sent to the house, and it was ordered that they leave the society because the affection inherent in their society's life and its delight was beginning to be rocked by it. It was said that his arrival was the cause of this. He was examined, and it was found that his glory originated from himself: that in the world he had been so great that he established a whole Church, and that consequently he [he felt] he merited heaven more than others. He did not think there was merit in his glory: but still there was, on which account he went away. The same thing happened in very many societies, and everywhere he was ordered to go away because their own delight was dulled and snuffed out, and also because he despised all others who were not of his religion, believing them dead.
[2] It was said that genuine glory is the glory of uses apart from self, thus solely on account of uses. This glory is the heartfelt delight that flows in not from self and one's fleshy desires but from the Lord through heaven; and [he was told] that he could not own this glory since in the world he had rejected the life of useful service. It was said to him further that if he were to search every day he would never find it. He said that he had spoken with his brothers about heaven; and that those whom he found had [once] had heaven but now no longer have it, and that they are searching and not finding it. They were told the reason was that earlier those too, like themselves, together with many others had formed heavens for themselves, which are understood in the book of Revelation by the first heaven that perished [Rev. 21:1], which indeed perished on the day of last judgment and that after this no such heavens were tolerated, but that all come to the place where their way of life, that is to say, spiritual faith draws them.
5993. ZINZENDORF.
I spoke with Zinzendorf and it was granted me to show him his enormous errors. It was also granted me to see and hear from himself of what quality he is, namely
(1), that he is a very powerful persuader, and that his persuasiveness is by protestations that he knows the arcana of heaven and that nobody can enter heaven unless he be in his doctrine: - dreadful protestations and of such a nature that they enter into the soul, although he is in the greatest falsities.
(2) That he speaks with all according to their own religion, thus pretending that he is of a similar doctrine. He said that he attracts in this way, and afterwards implants his own secret doctrines; observing, at the time, first, whether they are accepted.
(3) He said that his faith is, that the Lord was born in order to be adopted Son of God; and that He is the adopted Son of God: at first, he believed that He was only adopted because He submitted to the passion of the cross;
(4) that His Divine is such as the Divine is with other men; but that it is now somewhat greater in amount, because He was born in order to be adopted.
(5) The Lord's Divine from conception, he denies. He admitted that it is so written, but, still, they [i.e., the Zinzendorfians 1] do not believe that it so took place: thus, they are in a sort of Socinianism.
(6) They are unwilling to divulge this secret doctrine, because they would in that way be called Socinians [or] Arians, and their communion would perish.
(7) He attributed sins to the Lord, and held that He was not a greater man than others.
(8) He depreciated those things which the Lord spoke in the Evangelists, saying they are obscure and have scarcely any meaning, and that Paul spoke much better than He.
(9) That he pays no heed to the Old Testament and all the things which are contained in it about the Lord: when I brought forth therefrom certain passages concerning the Lord, he did not want to hear them, as if they were things of no moment.
(10) That he spurns the whole life of charity because [according to him] it contributes nothing to salvation. He also said, that, in relation to life, God is not to be thought about: this he condemned.
(11) He was altogether in favor of faith separated from charity.
Inasmuch as he believed that only he and his adherents would enter heaven, because they were alive through faith, and consequently that he would come into heavenly joy, he was asked what he believed respecting heavenly joy. His belief was that it is a joy passing comprehension. He was told that all joy is of affection, and that this joy is of spiritual affection, since on this is inscribed heaven with man; and, so far as there is in it anything of natural affection separate from spiritual, so far it is not the joy of heaven. He also believed that he would enter the highest heaven. He was told that heaven is denied to none; also to enter heaven, if he so desires, as also he can do if he choose, in order that he might know from experience what heavenly joy is. Wherefore, he prepared himself and entered a society where heavenly joy prevailed. He entered a house, where he sat in the delight and pleasure of glory; but that delight was communicated to the others in the society, wherefore he was let into that house, and it was commanded that they should go out of the society, because, owing to this, the affection of their life and the delight thereof began to be impaired. It was stated that an intruder did it. On his being explored, it was found that his desire for glory had its source from self, in that, in the world, he was so great that he established a complete church, and therefore was more deserving of heaven than others. He supposed that there was no idea of merit in his thirst for glory, but yet there was; on which account he went away. The same sort of thing happened in many societies, and everywhere he was ordered to go away, because he blunted and destroyed their joys; also for the reason that he despised all others that were not of his religion, believing them to be dead. It was stated that genuine glory is the glory of uses separated from self-regard, thus solely for the sake of the use-this ambition is heartfelt delight, and inflows, not from self and its own flesh, but from the Lord through heaven - and that he was not able to be in this glory, because, in the world, he had rejected the whole life of uses. He was told, moreover, that if he should seek it daily he would never find it. He stated that he spoke with his brethren about heaven, and that those whom he found [said] that they did possess heaven, but possess it now no longer, and that they seek, and do not find. They were told that the reason was, that such persons, along with many others, previously formed to themselves heavens, which are meant in the Apocalypse by the former heaven that passed away - which, also, perished at the time of the Last Judgment and that no such heavens would be tolerated hereafter, but that all enter wherever their life, or spiritual faith, draws them.
Footnotes:
1. I.e., the modern Moravians.
5993. De Zinzendorf
Loquutus sum cum Zinzendorf, et datum est ostendere illi errores ejus enormes, et datum est videre et audire ab ipso qualis est, quod nempe
1) maxime persuasor, et quod persuasio [esset] per contestationes, quod is sciat arcana coeli, et quod nisi in ejus doctrina nemo possit in coelum venire, contestationes dirae et tales ut intrent in animos, tametsi in falsissimis est.
2) Quod loquatur cum omnibus secundum illorum religionem, sic simulans quod ex simili doctrina sit, dicebat quod sic alliciat, et quod postea inseminet arcana sua, hinc explorando prius num recipiantur.
3) Dixit, quod fides ejus sit, quod Dominus natus sit, ut sit adoptatus filius Dei, et quod sit Filius Dei adoptivus, primum credidit quod solum adoptatus sit quia passionem crucis suscepit.
4) Quod ejus Divinum sit quale est Divinum apud alios homines; nunc quod aliquantum plus, quia natus est ut adoptaretur.
5) Negat Divinum Domini ex conceptione, dicebat quod ita scriptum sit, sed usque non credunt quod ita factum; ita sunt in specie socinianismi.
6) Non volunt hoc arcanum manifestare, quia sic vocarentur Sociniani [vel] Ariani, et periret congregatio.
7) Domino tribuit peccata, et quod non plus homo fuit quam alii.
8) Vilipendebat illa quae Dominus loquutus apud Evangelistas, dicens quod sint obscura et vix alicujus sensus; et quod Paulus loquutus multo melius quam Ipse.
9) Quod non curet Vetus Testamentum, et illa omnia quae ibi sunt de Domino, cum aliqua inde de Domino produxi, non voluit audire sicut rei nihili.
10) Quod respuat omnem vitam charitatis, quia nihil conducit ad salutem, et quod non sit cogitandum de Deo quoad vitam, hoc damnabat.
11) Erat prorsus pro fide separata a charitate.
Quia credebat quod is solus cum suis veniret in coelum, quia in vita per fidem, et sic quod venturus in gaudium coeleste, quaerebatur quid crederet de gaudio coelesti, credebat quod est gaudium incomprehensibile, dicebatur quod omne gaudium affectionis, et quod sit affectionis spiritualis, quia in hac inscribitur coelum apud hominem, et quanum inibi est affectionis naturalis separatae a spirituali tantum non sit gaudium coeli, credebat etiam quod venturus in supremum coelum, dicebatur ei quod nemini negetur coelum, ex adire coelum si cupit, quod etiam ipse potest si velit, ut ab actu sciat quid gaudium coeleste; quare accinxit se et intrabat societatem ubi gaudium coeleste, intrabat domum, ubi sedebat in jucundo et amaeno gloriae, sed id jucundum communicabatur reliquis in societate, quare mittebatur in domum illam, et jubebatur ut exirent societate, quia vitae eorum affectio et ejus jucundum incipiebat inde labefactari, dicebatur quod advena hoc faceret, is exploratus inveniebatur quod gloria ejus originem habebat ex se, quod tantus esset in mundo ut integram Ecclesiam stabiliverit, et sic quod ille prae aliis coelum mereretur; putabat non esse meritum in gloria sed usque erat, quare abivit: similiter factum in pluribus societatibus, et ubivis jussus abire, quia gaudia sua hebetaret et exstingueret, etiam ex eo quod contemneret omnes alios qui non ex sua religione essent, credentes illos mortuos; dictum est quod genuina gloria sit gloria usuum abstracta a se, ita solum propter usus, haec gloria est jucunditas cordis, et influit non a se et sua carne sed a Domino per coelum, et quod in hac gloria non posset esse, quia in mundo rejecerat omnem vitam usuum. Dictum ei porro quod si quotidie quaerat nusquam inventurus sit; dicebat quod loquutus sit cum fratribus suis de coelo, et quod illi quos invenit, quod habuerint coelum, sed nunc non amplius habeant, et quod quaerant et non inveniant; dicebatur illis causa, quia tales etiam cum multis aliis prius formarant sibi coelos, qui in Apocalypsi intelliguntur per prius coelum quod periit [Apoc. XXI: 1], quod etiam periit die ultimi judicii, et quod posthac non tales coeli tolerentur, sed quod omnes veniant, quo vitae seu spiritualis fides trahit illos.